Processing photographic sensitized material



Sept. 6, 1938. R. H. DRAEGER 2,128,921

l PROCESSING P1 O'I'OGRAF'IIC SENSITIZED MATERIAL f Filed Dec. 24, 19,35 2 Shets-Sheet 1 SAEM,

Sept. 6, 1938. R, H. DRAGER 2,128,921

PROCESSNG PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSITIZED MATERIAL Filed Dec. 24, 19:55 2 sheets-sheet 2 .MIU

HHH I. 34

Patented 6, 1938 PATENT oFFlce 2.12am PROCESSING PHOTOGRAPHE! SENSITIZED Rupert n. neuerer, -Unuea states Navy Appuesuon peeemter u, 193s, serial Ne. 55,916

1c chime. (ci. :i5-ssi (Granted 'under the ser er Maren s, 1883,' as amended apru so. 192s, 31o o. G. 757) This invention relates -to an apparatus for and a method of processing photographic sensitized strip material andmore particularly of processing photographic paper in long strips. A convenient 5 apparatus for carrying out this method is a tank into which is iltted a spiral holder and means to circulate the processing liquid transverselyl paper is to run it in a continuous strip through a 2 2 processing machine in which the illm'or paper passes over a series of guide rollers, immersing it successively in the several-processing solutions and iinally pass it through some form oi l apparatus.

This method oi' photographic processing is rapid and adapted to processing in large quantities at a low cost. One disadvantage of this method is that a small quantity of illm or paper cannot be processed at a low cost, due to the fact that large quantities of p solutions are needed to till the large tanks. Another disadvantage is the need for a' leader to keep the machine threaded and still others are the large space occupied by the machine and its cost of construction.

The third method of photographic pr is the using. ot some form of holder that carries a quantity of illm or paper in a compact form-in which it may be placed in the various 40 liquidst Asiswellknowmmotionpicturelmmaybe processed readily ina holder of spiralform as described ln U. s. Patent No. 1,1705'16 or in my pending application Serial No. 49,756. Such a spiral holder may be used-for' photographic i'llm or paper-oi' narrow widths. When illm or'paper of more than a few inches in width is placed on this holder there is a tendency for the material to soften and the convolution: of thespiral to touch each other preventing even processing. Thiais especially trueotlight weight illmor paperoriinepapermade tromlinen rags. The execution of this method is, however. by no means `limited to the employment oi a spiral holder for handlingthe longstripaof paper ornlm: any

device which holds the material in a compact form and substantially on edge being satisfactory. The material might be so held by winding it back and forth between the teeth of two spaced combs.

Regardless of the type of holder used, if a wide 25 strip of paper. that is, over a few inches wide, is

held in' a small space, the coils or folds will touch and often stick so that they will not be processed properly if no effort is made to keep them separated. 10

The method of this invention includes circulating the liquids between the portions of material being processed thus keeping them free. If a spiral or other holder having the width of the strip material extending upward from it is 15 used, the circulation may be produced by a rotating'propeller in the tank below the holder.

'In the accompanying drawings which lllusrtate an tapparatus for carrying'out this method, like numbers refer to like parts and 2Q Eig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the assembled apparatus showing a spiral holder with pape mounted therein. Y

Fig. 2 is Ya plan view of the portion below line 2`2 of Fig. l. 25

' Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly broken away, of a slightly modiiled form of apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a partial plan view of the portion below line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

ylilg. 5is a plan view ofthe annular weight, also 30 `shown in Fig. l.

In Fig. 1 is shown an open circular tank il, having an'inlet pipe Il, an overow pipe i2, a stop-v cock drain I3. .and a stuiling box il through which is mounted a shaft ii'having a propeller 35 Il detachably secured 'to the inner end and a pulley wheel I1 secured to the outer end of said shaft. The electric motor Il is connected to the pulley wheel ll-by means ota belt lland is geared down in such a manner that the propeller 40 is turned slowly. A

Within tank Il is removably'mounted-a cylinder 2l having an open bottom formed of radially extending vertical blades 2| secured to a ring 22 at their inner ends and to the bottom of cylinder 45 Il at their outer ends. The upper edge of cylinder Il has a narrow outwardly turned ilange 2 3. The space between cylinder 2l and the tank il is divided into vertical sections by means o! spacers 2l which are held in position at the top 50 by being secured to ring 2i and at the bottom by `radially extending vertical blades 2i which in turnaresecuredtothecentralringll. The

' internal cylinder Il is supported by the bearing oinangeonring. 'lhetwoint'ernalstruc- 55 alpaca:

. the convolutions o! the photographic strip from through said open ended cylinder and between portions of said photographic strips, said iluid iiow causing means comprising a pair ci sets ot radially extending vertical blades at one'end oi 5 said cylinder. a propeller rotating between said sets of blades, said photographic strip supporting means being located within said open ended cylinder, said strip supporting means supporting photographic strip at one edge. said photographic strip being held in vertical position by the vertical dow oi iiuid between the portions thereof. Y

9. A photographic strip processing device comprising a tank adapted to contain a definitely limited quantity ot processing iluid, an open ended cylinder within said tank spaced from the bottom Y and sides thereof. means ior supporting photographic strips edgewise within said cylinder,

means for causing a current of processing duid to flow vertically upwardly through said open ended cylinder and retum through the space outside said cylinder, said iluid dow causing means comprising a pairof sets of .radially extending vertical blades at the bottom end oi said cylinder, a propeller rotating between said sets oi' blades, said photo-f graphic strip supporting means resting on said radially extending blades within said open ended cylinder, and photographic strip material resting on its lower edge on said strip supporting means. said photographic strip being held in vertical posi- 3o tion by the upward iiow o! the processing fluid between the portions thereof.

10. A photographic strip processing device comprising a containing means for a deiinitely limited quantity of processing iiuid. means for sup- 36 Porting'photographic stripsedgewise within said processing iiuid containing means, and means for continuously flowing and wing a non-swirling current of the processing d between said photosliiilhlcA strips.

40 11. Aphctographicstripproccssiugdevicecom-- prising a containing means for -a deiinlteiy limited quantity of processing duid, means for. supporting photographic strips edgewise within saidv processing fluid containing means. and means for u continuously flowing and reiiowing anon-swirling -current of the processing ilu'id between said photog'raphic strips. said last'mentioned means causing the current to enter between. said DMW' graphic stripsat the. supported edge, whereby said ilcwing current maintains said strips cutoi contact with each other.

12. A photographic strip processing device comprising a containing means 4for a definitely limi ited quantity of processing iiuid. means i'or sup- 55 porting a photographic strip at its bottom edge.

within said processing duid containing means.

and means for continuously flowing and reilowingl a current of the processing fluid upf-- wardly along the photographic strip. said means-v causing the current to travel along the photographic strip, commencing at the supported bdttom.edge, said photographic strip being main.v

tained in a vertical direction by the .vertically owing current.' v

means for supporting a-photographic 'strip inspiral -iormation at one edge `thereof within `said processing fluid containing means, and means for 1 3. A photographic strip processing device comprising Va processing duid containing means..

the supported edge to the other edge, whereby said l owing current maintains the surfaces of adiacent convolutions out o! contact with each other.

14. A photographic strip processing device comprising a tank for containing a dednitely limited quantity o! processing iiuid. an open ended cylinder within said tank spaced trom the bottom and sides thereof. means for supporting photosraPhi-strips within said cylinder. means i'or Vcausing scuri-ent o! processing fluid to dow vertical!! uilfwaldllr through saidopen ended cylinder and return throughthe space between the cylinder and the tank, said iiuid i'iow causing means comprising a pair of sets oi radially extending vertical blades at the bottom end ot said cylinder, a propeller rotating between said sets of blades,

said photographic strip supporting means resting on said lradially extending blades within said open ended cyllnder, and photographic strip material resting on its lower edge cnfsaid strip supporting means, said photographic strip being'held in vertical position by the upward dow of the processing i'iuid thereby. and means contacting with the upper edge of said photographic strip material holding said photographic strip material in position against the iiow oi theprocessing iluid.

15. A photographic strip processing device comprising a tank, an open ended cylinder within saidtankspacediromthebottomandsides thereof, means for supporting photographic strips means resting on said radially extending b lades within said open ended cylinder. and photographic strip material resting on its lower edge on said strip supporting means, 'said photographic strip being held in vertical position by the upward iiow of the processing iiuid thereby. and means contacting with the upper edge of saidl photographic strip material holding said photographic strip material in position against the dow of the processing duid, said contacting means comprising a spider shaped weight.

16.n A photographic strip processing device comprinng s uns :or containing s definitely unused quantity o! processing iluid, an open' ended `cyl inder, means for supporting said open ended cylinderlwithin said tank and spaced from the sides thereof, saidmeansincluding a plurality ot vertical iin's extending from the outer side o! said cylinder and a pair o! sets of radially extending-vertical blades secured at the bottom of saidcylnder.

` apropeller rotatable between said setsoipairs oi' blades. causing a current to flow said cylinder and return between. said vertical-nps,

vsaid vertical blades causing the current to travel vertically in a non-swirling direction. andsneans for supporting photographic strip material on edge within said open ended tank, whereby said vertically flowing duid will-maintain the portions o1 the pnbmrapmc strip'matensi out or contact l with'eaclother. Y

.A RUPERT EDRAEGER.. l 

